Chronic pain, such as pain in the back, legs or pelvis, is a common symptom that many people endure on a daily basis, and it can significantly lower their quality of life. Chronic pain can be attributed to a variety of ailments that are difficult to treat directly. Some ailments that cause chronic pain include failed back surgery syndrome, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and peripheral arterial disease, and chronic pain may also be caused by poor posture, obesity, trauma or old age. Since medical intervention to correct the cause of chronic pain may not be possible or effective, treatment is often aimed towards suppressing the symptoms, or pain, to increase the quality of life of a patient.
Many different types of treatment may be used to treat chronic pain. Some of these treatments include medication, acupuncture, trigger point injections, physical therapy, exercise, nutritional modifications, and medical devices. Not all treatments are effective for all patients, and a combination of treatments may be prescribed by a physician.
In some cases, chronic pain may be treated with neurostimulation. An implantable medical device may be implanted into the patient at a location near the back or abdomen and used to generate electrical pulses. These pulses may be delivered to the spinal cord through an insulated lead. One or more electrodes at the distal end of the lead conduct the pulses into the surrounding tissue. The lead, or a plurality of leads, may be placed near a certain location on the spine or other area to suppress the pain. Stimulation may help to reduce or relieve the pain by modulating nerve impulses to the brain that signal pain.